Aerith, The Youth Years
by DimOn
Summary: "Aerith Gainsborough, a young Cetra, faces the death of her mother in front of her eyes. That's when everything will change forever"
1. Mother

_*This is a work of fan fiction. I do not, in any way, profit from the story. _

_Creative rights, belong to their original creator of the Final Fantasy universe, Hironobu Sakaguchi_

CHAPTER 1

MOTHER

Aerith was holding Ifalna's hand tightly as the train departed from another station, tears were running like rivers all over her innocent face. For her young age, she couldn't understand exactly what pain was or why her mother's clothes became red as the time passed but she knew that was not good. From the moment, this disturbing gun noise made Ifalna fall down to the moment they were in the train station, everything was a blur for Aerith. Nothing made sense at all for her right now. As it didn't, when they were captives of the notorious Shin-Ra. Right now, she would prefer they would never try to escape from there. There mother was safe. There mother was breathing. That hellish place, looked like heaven to Aerith right now. But all that was now past and mother's breath was slowly taken away.

The train made its stop to Sector 7 Slums. Aerith was suddenly scared from the boisterous robotic voice.

"SECTOR 7, NEXT STATION GARDEN SLUMS"

Everyone was staring there at the corner. The little girl and the dying mother. How cruely silenced the people were. Nobody was eager to help or do anything. The more Ifalna didn't talk the more Aerith shed tears.

In fact there were many things mother wanted to tell to her daughter because she knew. She was fatally shot, but that didn't matter. Her child was safe.

Suddenly the Station guards came through the door as the indifferent people were leaving the train. In fact, the people inside the car were soldiers that took part in the big Wutai War. They have faced death before. That wasn't new for them. What mattered most for them was to see their parents right now. Yeah their parents. The same thing that Aerith wanted to also do. To see her mother again. Stand up, full of life and zeal, demonstrating every little thing she knew as a mother. But as the guard took her body outside the stairs, that seemed more and more a dream.

"Don't take...my child", she shouted.

The guard was shocked by the power of her voice even if she was at her last moments.

"Miss you were shot, that is not good for your child to see".

"I know...ugh...just let me be next to her for...as long as I live", she told as her breath was slowly fading away.

The guard went off, in tears. He was gonna call for medical help. He knew it was useless but still he couldn't leave that woman alone. Aerith was shocked and unable to say anything. Sitting next to her mother, gazing upon her emerald green eyes she felt strange.

"Mommy you gonna be alright, right?"

"Aerith, my love...", Ifalna was unable to say what she wanted to say.

"Mommy don't get away from me"

"Aerith, I'm happy for you and...and I want to take care of yourself from now on, will you promise that to me dear?"

"Mommy, are you gonna leave me?...Nooooo nooooo!"

"Dear, I promise I will protect you in any way that I can but don't cry. It's not fit for us to...cry about death. Because death doesn't exist. It's just a moment of truth dear", Ifalna said trembling.

That day was cold and rainy, the station felt haunted and eerie. Like there were ghosts nearby. Aerith felt like that too. She stood upon her feet to look where the guard that would help them is but instead she saw a woman standing on the opposite wall. She really seemed like a ghost, waiting for someone and she was sad too, but there was no time to think anything else. She turned her face again to see mother but it seemed that she couldn't say any word.

"Mommy..."

"Miss...Are you alright?, the strange woman approached Ifalna and Aerith and tried to help with words, but she knew...it was late.

"Who...are you? Ugh."

"My name is Elmyra but...What happened to you? You are...shot?"

"There is no need...Take care of her. Please"

The woman was shocked, like she was hit by car. Aeris stared upon the two women and saw a strange chemistry between them. She didn't know how to call it, fate?

"What did you say?", Elmyra asked in confusion. She didn't know what to do.

"Elmyra...you will scare my daughter...But if you want you can take...care of her you seem a gentle lady...ugh...Take Aerith...somewhere safe"

A loud silence was filled all over the now eerie station. It was like the time in that point of the station has stopped by magic. The rain got heavier that moment. It was like a sign from above. Some people called it the faeries, when hope was lost for someone they summoned the rain or snow. But now there was rain. And it was hiding the tears of the two destined women. Elmyra couldn't say a word. It was too much for her but that moment she realised one thing. It couldn't be coincidence. There was no time for anything else only for doing one thing.

"Aerith...your name is Aerith right?", tried to show calm and happy to the young girl.

Aerith was still as a statue. She couldn't believe that her mother became spirit. She couldn't believe that she wouldn't see her eyes again. Everything was in vain now. She was so off that moment, that she forgot about that strange woman that so strangely invaded her moments with her mother. But as she was deep in thoughts and confusion she suddenly felt a warm hand above her shoulder. It really felt so gentle and felt like mother's. It couldn't be true, could be?

Elmyra's strange voice and words sounded like salvation.

"Aerith, don't worry. Your mother is protecting you now. You shouldn't fear anything...We can go home together now. She will be watching us".

As soon as Elmyra said those words everything turned black for Aerith.

It was that time that the daughter looked as dead as her mother.

Elmyra shouted and her voice soared like thunder in the field.

"My girl, are you alright...?"

Aerith couldn't hear a word anymore...


	2. A New Home

_*This is a work of fan fiction. I do not, in any way, profit from the story. _

_Creative rights, belong to their original creator of the Final Fantasy universe, Hironobu Sakaguchi_

CHAPTER 2

A NEW HOME

"_...Are you here?"_

"_Mother is that you?"_

"_Yes dear, have you forgotten me?"_

"_Pardon me? Forget you? Why? Where have you been by the way mother?"_

"_Here my sweetheart. I'm here all along. Haven't you noticed?"_

"_Uh?"_

...The pillow felt so smooth and cold altogether. The blanket was so warm, rays of morning light kept it at the right temperature. It was a wonderful morning in a strange but happy place. It reminded nothing of the blurry past but still everything was hazy. Until she woke up. Aerith was not sure about how she ended up there but she remembered well that woman under the name Elmyra. And as soon as she pt her brain into thoughts, Elmyra visited Aerith on her room.

"Aerith, my girl?"

"Um, you are Elmyra right? How was I sleeping?"

"Strange question dear, the matter is how long you were sleeping", said laughing.

"Hehe, how long then?"

"Seven days and some hours."

"..."

Aerith didn't talk for a while. She knew very well what happened a week before. Mother was dead and she really got out of order that day. It's like her body couldn't accept the incident and went out of order. It's like it wanted to keep company to Ifalna's dead body. But now she was awake.

Elmyra tried to do everything she could do to keep Aerith cheerful but a reply from Aerith's mouth made her understand that the young girl was happy and cheerful by nature.

"Did you really mean that?", said Elmyra between laugh and terror.

"Yeah let's go cook together.", Aerith answered full of joy.

"Are seven days enough to forget...? You know..."

"Ms. Elmyra mother is watching me. She is here with me...well she is everywhere now, why should I be sad anymore?

Elmyra was astounded by the mature tone Aerith spoke but also shocked about that 'everywhere' thing. Whatever Aerith meant Elyra intended not to give much attention that time. The two of them got down in the kitchen to start cooking. Aerith was really but really hungry after so many days asleep. And that made Elmyra wondering.

"How much possible is for a human to endure so much sleep, hunger and tragedy?", she asked herself.

A few minutes later, Aerith full of zeal asked:

"Ms. Elmyra, I want to go out and talk with the flowers."

"First of all call me Elmyra. Secondly, flowers don't talk my girl."

"But...I hear them talk to me."

"Really my girl? And what do they tell you? Are they nice to you? Because you are sweet as they do."

"They say to me that they hate humans."

Elmyra was a bit overwhelmed by that quote. She really wondered if all that really were mean or a just a kid's joke.

"No I tell you the truth. Back there at the prison, me and my mother were listening to other prisoner flowers, condemning humans for not proteting them and watering them."

Elmyra said nothing at all, she just laughed and went off to the kitchen. Aerith laughed from joy as soon as she looked outside the window. A garden full of flowers and a small cascade flowing calmly on Elmyra's backyard. Everything there was so nice, there were things that Aerith has seen before and now gotten alive right before her eyes. There were even a mysterious pink sphere glowing under the rays of light.

"Can I go out and play with your ball Elmyra?"

"My ball? Aerith what are you talking about?"

"Yeah that pink ball over there on the flower garden."

"Oh dear, that must be it. That's so strange for it to appear here."

"I want it to touch it yay", Aerith immediately went out.

Elmyra was happy for her young girl, there wasn't any sign of sadness in her eyes anymore but she also wondered how quickly Aerith overcame her mother's tragedy. Aerith went outside the house. Everything was so calm here. It was not like in Shin-Ra home, like she called it. Here seemed like hope and love was taking flesh and bones through the calm water, the flowers and the singing birds. Sector 5, or like people used to call it 'Garden Slums' was a paradise for the people who used to live there. It was nothing like the rest Sectors. There were no dirty, no bandits and no poverty. The only Sector alongside Sector 7 that was full of life and joy most of the times. There was nothing specific here, like Sector's 7 '7th Heaven', a fancy nightbar that gathers any kind of people, but at least everything was in peace for a strange reason.

"Hey you", a strange voice was heard.

As soon as Aerith turned her face to look the man that talked to her Elmyra opened the door.

"Oh Changel, here you are...",Elmyra greeted the mysterious man.

Aerith remained silent, gazing upon two emerald green eyes. There was something special about that man...And she was sure of it...


End file.
